6 Quick tips on picking out the Best Electric Deadbolt

The typical deadbolt serves only one purpose - to lock and unlock and your door to keep out any unwelcomed guests. That much is pretty straightforward.

With an electric deadbolt, you can have many conveniences like keyless locking and remote locking or unlocking.

These were first introduced in cars, but the technology has poured over to homes and businesses. You’ve probably comes across a couple of these if you’ve stayed in a hotel in the last 20 years too.

What makes an electronic deadbolt different are their parts called “actuators.” These connect the bolt or the cylinder to a tiny motor that is embedded in the door or the doorframe. This motor is powered by an electrical impulse, which can be triggered in various ways like a sensor, remote, or keypad (among others).

Do you really need the upgrade?

Yes, your good old mechanical deadbolt might still be doing its job after all these years. But you have to consider your lifestyle.

You’re probably on the go a lot and you could do with the convenience of not having to unlock your door manually when your hands are full of grocery bags or you’re tired of rummaging in your bag for your keys.

You could also probably sleep more soundly without having to worry about whether or not you’ve locked your front door.

You can also avoid having to go back to your house if you ever forget to lock it.

That being said, picking the right electric deadbolt is no cakewalk. There are so many options to choose from and it can be a daunting task to select the right one if you’re not familiar with smart home tech.

Alright, now we can get into our tips in picking out the right electric deadbolt for you.

1. Determine how much you’re willing to spend.

A secure lock isn’t going to come cheap. You have to weigh in how much you’re willing to spend upon purchasing it and then having it replaced at some point.

As a general rule, the more expensive it is, the more security and connectivity features it offers.

2. Be educated in the lingo.

These electric deadbolts are going to be configured differently, so you have to know how they work in order to get your money’s worth.

The most common one you’ll encounter is the grade of the deadbolt, which is based on industry rankings. The lower the grade is, the harder it is to disable.

3. Determine whether it has the features you’re interested in.

You have to ask questions like:

• -Does it have a keyless entry feature?
• -Does it do anything in the event of an attempted break-in?
• -Does it have an alarm?
• -How easy is it to set the master code?

Check to see if the model you’re eyeing fits your specific needs.

4. Check to see if it’s compatible with your door!

You don’t want to buy an electric deadbolt, only to find out that you can’t install it.

5. Look at how it’s powered.

For the added convenience, you might want to get your electric deadbolt hardwired. But there are also a lot of options out there that allow for batteries, so check what kind of batteries it would need and how often they would need replacing.

Make sure you know how to power your electric deadbolt to keep it running. A house lock is something that you don’t want to neglect.

6. Check its connectivity.

One of the highlights of owning an electric deadbolt is its connectivity. Check to see if it can be hooked up to your devices via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or Z-Wave.